Il San

It might seem weird that I am posting a map to the Il San Costco. I wrote about Costco in my 1st post. I came across this when I was looking for images of Il San.

June 14, 1988 Con't.

Upon our arrival to Kimpo International Airport in Seoul, we were greeted by members of our agency. Not only was it overwhelming to be in Korea, but it was also quite rare to be with a group of individuals who shared a similar background. For the first time, I would take notice to last names of the members in my group. Fitzpatrick, Culkins and Page weren't exactly Korean surnames. I felt comfortable with the fact that I wouldn't have to explain how I ended up with the surname that I had.

After a group photograph, we left for Il San. By this time, it was probably 10:00 or so at night and none of us had much sleep. The adrenaline kept us going. Il San is a town north/northwest of Seoul. It is where our agency has a home for children with special needs and there were also quarters for guests. We spent several nights here.

Befriending a few people on one of the flights, I was able to get into a group of girls who would be my roommates for the entire trip. We were shown our room with the futon-like bedding and ended up talking late into the night. As cliche as it sounds, there was an instant bond and I looked forward to learning more about them and our motherland.

To begin: Costco

As I begin this blog to reconcile my Korean heritage with my American culture, I came up with some ideas of how to bridge the two. After sifting through a few ideas on paper, I glanced to the right of my legal pad and saw my Costco coupons. After realizing that I only had another day or two to use my coupons, it hit me. Costco in Korea. This is the epiphany. It isn't any deep, meaningful, introspective look at my internal struggles. It's rather shallow. I now know how to begin this blog. Costco and its products seem to be almost as ubiquitous as any other American brand and certainly it's a staple in my world. Now, it's in my Korean one as well.

What better way to show an interconnection between American and Korean cultures or rather a result of globalization? Brand recognition, capitalism and consumerism can be seen by some as chiefly American exports that have built the global market as we know it today. Depending on how you view globalization, you may recoil at the thought of Costco in a country rich in cultural tradition and history. Or, you may be put at ease that the Korean people now have a venue to purchase gigantic jars of mayonaise.

I find it intriguing and a little sardonic at the same time. Can the Costco business model and the push to buy in bulk when not necessary be a reasonable, practical model for Asian consumers as it isn't exactly essential for Americans? As Americans, we know that we have succumbed to the "bigger is better" and "you get more for your money (when you buy bulk)" marketing. Yes, of course, you will get more for less when you purchase in large quantities, but it seems bizarre that Costco is now operating in countries such as Korea and Japan. In densely populated cities like Seoul or any other large city for that matter where square footage is at a premium, finding storage space for such items would be challenging.

The country known as "the land of the morning calm" (and my motherland) is now host to an American wholesale club. Don't get me wrong, I buy in bulk and am a sucker for good marketing. I just never imagined that there would be such a business venture in Korea. After learning that there was a Costco in my homeland, I found it to be a little unsettling that this big box retailer has descended on my mother country. The days of ox carts and M*A*S*H are long gone.

So, this brings me to think that there is something about Korean culture that I want to learn. What makes Costco appealing to the Korean people? Do Koreans purchase with the same power, attitudes and motives as Americans?

I remembered a youtube segment that showed a young American couple who was elated to visit Costco in Korea. Yes, this is it. This is the start of my blog.